Fria

Fria, town, western Guinea, West Africa, near the Amaria Dam on the Konkouré River. The Fria Company’s bauxite-reducing factory at nearby Kimbo was one of Africa’s first alumina-processing plants and is Guinea’s largest industrial enterprise. Bauxite deposits were discovered in 1954, and alumina was first exported in 1960 via rail to Conakry, 55 mi (88 km [91 mi by rail]) south. The site of the largest technical training school in the country, Fria also has a hospital, a stadium, a mosque, and a Roman Catholic mission (1959). The town is also the chief trade centre for a region inhabited mainly by the Susu (Soussou) people. Pop. (1996) 44,369.